Fading Light
by NerdcraftMC
Summary: Mobs can't tear down an entire nation in one night and the Government was obviously lying. Now, two years later, Ty, Sky and Jason are going to unveil the secret of the West and find the truth: the truth which could lead to the demise of the East. [RATING AND FULL DISCRIPTION INSIDE]
1. PROLOGUE

**I don't usually do this but it's necessary cause I couldn't fit it all in the description:**

**Rating:** M for gore, language and future unpleasant things. No smut.

**Chapter Lengths:** Standard five to seven Word Document pages each.

**Description:** Two years ago, the Western Kingdom went silent. When Eastern forces went over to the main city, they found smoking ruins and thousands of dead bodies and hundreds missing. The walls were collapsed, the forests were burnt and all the villages and towns were destroyed. They said it was the mobs, but there was no way that simple mobs could tears down an entire nation in one night. The Eastern Government is hiding something, and Ty is determined to find out. When Ty, Sky and Jason fling themselves into the ruined nation of the East, they find a terrible secret: there are survivors, tainted with the darkness which destroyed their nation. The Good News? They're fighting against what ruined them. The Bad News? They're becoming the enemy. And that enemy is going to destroy the East.

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><p><strong>Yet another new story? What on EARTH is going on here?<strong>

**Well Nerdians, welcome to Fading Light! This will be bringing back the lovely Jason, Sky and Ty and pairing them with The Creatures, throwing them into a mystical world of my creation in a desperate battle to uncover the truth! It will be bloody! There will be major character death in the first three chapters! THERE WILL BE FEELS! AND BY GOD, YOU CAN GUARANTEE THERE WILL BE HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE DEATH SCENES!**

**This combines some of my favourite things, such as dragons, werewolves (original werewolves, not just giant wolves. Stupid Twilight) evil Christmas elves, zombies, demons... it's going to be fantasy and adventure. And comedy, it has to have comedy. It's funny to me so I don't know if it'll be funny to you but... yeah.**

**I think I've rambled enough! ****I hope you enjoy the prologue, which lays the very ominous and cliché opening!**

**Love you all!**

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Eons ago Minecraftia was populated by only three kingdoms. I ruled the Western Kingdom, my idiotic brother ruled the Eastern Kingdom and our father ruled the Northern Kingdom. We were all powerful beings, son. We were revelled as gods! And then we realised that our father was hoarding the true power from us. He wasn't letting us reach our true, brilliant potential! So at the next gathering, I put Ender's poison in his cup of wine. He fell and all the true power rushed to us! But my brother… my brother discovered it was me. He banished me to this place and limited my powers! Now he rules Minecraftia and the Aether, with all the power for himself. He created new creatures and beasts, but he was most proud of his one creation: the human. No longer did he rule the souls, but he ruled people. So I tainted his stupid creation with my own, darkened magic: Turning them into beings of death! Dragons, werewolves, demons! So he countered with his own: Angels, Guardians, the Keeper of Light. Our battle raged for decades; his Beings of Light and my Beasts. I took his petty little humans and twisted them to my own, but even then… I lost.

I tried to destroy those pathetic humans, but my beasts could only eliminate one side. Now my greatest creation has finished sapping from their hatred and greed, and he is ready.

_He will feed._


	2. ONE

**I hope the cliché prologue tickled your fancy! Here we go with Chapter One, where it's mainly explaining and horrible jokes!**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

"There's one thing that could've caused this much damage," Jordan said, scratching the back of his neck. "A Wither."

"Or a hungry Dan," Eddie giggled. Aleks slapped his arm, trying to keep a straight face.

"Wither's plough through whatever is in their way if they've been injured enough to be unable to fly. It's the Withering effect," Jordan explained.

"Can you give us the lesson back at the house? It's getting dark," Eddie pointed out. Jordan took one look back at the massive trail of destruction through the trees before sighing.

"Let's head back then," Jordan muttered. The three started their walk back, along the dirt trail until they found the road. The road was too bumpy for the cars to drive along. Few carts travelled along the road any more, but occasionally someone would come along on a horse. Not as much recently. Eddie started humming a tune and tapping his fingers on Aleks's shoulder. Aleks scowled and ducked away. Eddie giggled, still humming, speeding up and walking after him, tapping the beat on his back.

"Back off!" Aleks yelled.

"Not until the songs over!" Eddie whined.

"Guys," Jordan warned. Eddie pouted and Aleks rolled his eyes. The three made it back to the city, walking along the sidewalk and watching as the vendors packed up their stalls. They came from outside the City walls and there was a new curfew in place for all cities. If they didn't make it back, they'd be locked outside with the mobs. Jordan walked up the steps to their house and inserted the keys in the lock; twisting it and shoving open the door. The hallway was dark and Jordan could hear James singing – more like screaming.

"I need to give him lessons," Eddie muttered, kicking off his shoes.

"Or I could just knock him on the head," Aleks suggested.

"No violence," Jordan sighed. Aleks drifted into the living room, turning on the television and flicking to the news.

"Checking in on your girlfriend?" Eddie giggled.

"Shut up," Aleks shot back. "She's hot."

"She works for the news. That means she's soulless," Eddie laughed. "Stop trying." Aleks frowned and then focused on the news, flopping on the couch. Eddie sat beside him.

"Mobs have getting more aggressive as of late," the somewhat attractive newscaster said. "The new curfew placed on the cites of the West in precaution have been adopted by the East after more deaths and injuries occurred. Freak storms have been attacking the coasts and multiple farmers have reported seeing a Wither in the Hiljainen Forest. And in other news, the horse races will be starting next week…"

"Holy shit," Eddie muttered. "Jordan actually got something right."

"He knows his mobs," Aleks allowed.

"Did you guys read the paper?" Jordan asked from the kitchen. "There's more on it in there." Eddie hauled himself up and Aleks followed, walking into the kitchen together. Eddie swept the paper up in his hands and Aleks yanked it out of his grasp, scanning the pages. A bold heading declaring it was the Western Kingdom Times and the date screamed up at him and the titles below were grim.

"'Zombies attack outer villages, leave no survivors'," Aleks read aloud. Eddie snatched it back and gave Aleks a dirty look, turning to the next page.

_Residents of a farming village thirty kilometres outside the Western City were reported slaughtered at one am yesterday, with no survivors left. The mobs, declared as zombies, decimated the population of one hundred and three and burnt the village to the ground, leaving skeletons of houses and charred remains._

_Natasha, a mother with the travelling band that found the wreckage in the early houses, gave this in a police statement:_

_"…It was horrifying and completely destroyed. It made you want to hold your children a little closer, knowing the mobs of this world are powerful enough to kill so many. You see shadows, up against the walls, and they looked like people. When you got close enough to them, you could practically hear them screaming. I wish my little ones didn't have to witness it."_

_More reports of these 'Screaming Shadows', as they've been dubbed, have been popping up in surrounding villages. After a freak fire in the town square of Belment, people said that the bodies had disappeared and were presumed burnt to nothingness, leaving only shadows pressed against the walls in the shapes of people. The next morning those shadows were gone, the same morning as twenty people – the same about of people who died in the fire- turned up dead in their homes. Scientist William Martinez suggested that these shadows were the souls of those who had lost their lives and had come seeking revenge. Martinez was permanently excused from his laboratory the following evening and was found dead in his bedroom after committing suicide._

"Stop reading," Aleks sighed. Eddie stopped and set the paper down, shuddering.

"That's horrible," Eddie said. "All these dead people and fires and the poor guy fired for wishful thinking. Times like this I'm glad we're in the walls."

"What if it was linked, though?" Jordan suggested. "The fires, the shadows, the murders. Maybe it's connected."

"What would cause it though?" Eddie asked dubiously. "And don't go trying to prove its some dark and mystical power again. Dragons and angels and stuff like that, they don't exist."

"What about the Keeper of Light?" Jordan pressed. "Everyone who believes in Notch believes in the Keeper of Light."

"It's a fairy tale!" Aleks laughed. "It's just a stupid story they came up with to explain what happened to the dog when it died."

"Don't worry Jimmy, Toto's not gone! The Keeper of Light has taken him to a better place!" Eddie mocked in a high-pitched voice.

"But what if it all was real?" Jordan asked. "Maybe the fairy tales are real. Maybe there is something going on with Gods and Demons and it all."

"Are you on drugs?" James asked as he came trotting down the stairs. "I thought we'd talked you out of all that."

"But it's a possibility!" Jordan said, exasperated. "It all makes sense! Here, look." Jordan disappeared into his room and then came back out. Aleks and Eddie groaned and James sighed as he flattened out a large piece of paper on the kitchen counter. The only reason the three didn't flee the room was because if they didn't let Jordan ramble on now, he'd continue sprouting nonsense all night.

"Not this again!" Aleks whined. "You already showed us this!"

"But I've improved it," Jordan insisted. He jabbed is finger down and started his spiel.

"We've all heard the fairy tales, right?" He began grandly. Eddie mouthed along with his speech, making Aleks giggle. "There was the Being, which created everything in our land. And then he created Notch and Herobrine to be his children, and he split the land into three parts: the North for himself, the East for Notch and the West for Herobrine. Together, they ruled the souls."

"Yeah, yeah," James interrupted. "And then apparently Herobrine got jealous of Notch because he thought he was the favourite, and he tried to poison Notch so he could take the East and West and combine it into the South and rule it all-"

"That's where you're wrong," Jordan said with a smile. "I found the real legend."

"How can you tell what's real and what's not?" Eddie asked. "It's all just fake anyway."

"This one makes way more sense," Jordan said. "It goes that Herobrine realised the Being was hoarding most of the power for himself, not eager to spread it through his sons and across the land. So at the next big gathering, Herobrine put poison in the Being's wine: Ender Poison from the Dragon Realm, the End."

"Which also doesn't exist," Aleks muttered. "Dragons are bullshit."

"The Being fell from his chair and all the power he'd been hiding-"

"You can't kill the thing which created the universe," Eddie laughed. "That's impossible!"

"In this, it's possible," Jordan sighed. "Stop interrupting me. Now it finishes saying that all the power went straight to Notch and Herobrine, and then Notch realised it wasn't the court that had assassinated the Being but his brother. So with his new found power, Notch created two Realms: the Aether for himself, which we call Heaven, and then the Nether for Herobrine, which we call Hell. The Aether is above us through the clouds and the Nether is beneath us but above the End. He took all of Herobrine's power for himself and claimed he was now the new ruler."

"That's not much different to what we heard," Aleks pointed out. "In our so-called 'fake' version, Herobrine tried to kill Notch but the Being realised and stopped him, and then Being took all of Herobrine's power and banished him to hell. Simple."

"Nerd," Eddie mumbled under his breath, and Aleks punched his arm.

"There's more," Jordan said excitedly to a chorus of groans. "It says that Notch breathed life into the souls that roamed the land and called the land Minecraftia, and his creations Minecraftians. He created plants and water and clouds and air, animals of all kinds, but he had this one thing he loved the most: the Human. Which is us, by the way."

"No shit," James snorted.

"Oh, good," Eddie breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his brow. "I thought I was a dog or something for a while."

"Herobrine was really annoyed that Notch was using all his power to create people, so he took whatever magic he could manage and corrupted Notch's creations with darkness and evil, twisting them into monsters: Werewolves, demons, zombies, elves-"

"Elves are evil?" Aleks asked in confusion. Jordan nodded impatiently, eager to continue. "Wow. That just ruined Christmas." Eddie elbowed him and Aleks scowled, punching his arm again.

"But apparently this war raged on for years, with Notch creating new things and then Herobrine tainting them and letting them fight against them. It was a battle of Light against Dark, and then Notch finally managed to shove Herobrine back down. The end."

"How does this all tie in?" Eddie asked, bored. "I really wanna shower."

"He's gotten tired of our peace in Notch's Eden, and now Herobrine has come for revenge," Jordan said with finality. There was silence, and then the three burst out laughing.

"Revenge?" Eddie giggled. "That's so pathetic!" Jordan scowled, his face red.

"It's not pathetic!" he yelled, clenching his fists. "It makes sense! Herobrine created zombies and was the first to attempt murder! Death, sickness, monsters: he made it all! And he lives in a fire dimension, for god's sake! He's utilizing all his most famous abilities and it's only gonna get worse!"

"That's the most far-fetched thing I've ever heard since the whole Keeper of Light story," James said seriously, eyes crinkling in the corners from laughter. "And this whole 'real' fairy tale, that's ridiculous! You're just following empty leads!"

"Why is everyone being loud?" Everyone turned and faced the stairs. Seamus stood on the bottom step, blinking sleep out of his eyes. "I'm trying to get rid of this god damn headache and you're all laughing your asses off."

"Sorry baby," Eddie said, pouting theatrically. "We didn't realise it was nap time."

"I will personally rip your dick off and shove it down your mouth," Seamus growled.

"I'm free Sunday, let's do it," Eddie shrugged. Seamus sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glaring around the room.

"Careful, he's rough," James snicked. Eddie shoved his arm, giggling, and Aleks rolled his eyes in disgust.

"I hate you all," Seamus muttered.

"How you realised how often you say that?" Aleks asked. "I think you need anger management classes."

"It's not anger, it's just the fact you're an idiot," Seamus said sweetly. "I should get paid to take care of you children."

"But I got you a number one dad mug!" James said, hurt. "Isn't that good enough?"

"You're all focusing on the wrong thing," Jordan piped up. "We're meant to be focusing on my amazingly true theories."

"I don't want to make a habit of listening to idiots," Eddie said kindly. "They tend to get you killed."

"I'm not an idiot!" Jordan yelled. "It all links up! The stories, the murders, the fires! This is all Herobrine!"

"And you really need to go to sleep," James said. "I think you're exhausted."

"Stop and actually listen to me," Jordan snapped. "Look at this: one of the stories from the wars. Herobrine took ghosts, the Aetherian creation Notch made, and he infused it with evil. That made Shadows that could walk around, and they killed countless amounts of people. The only way you could hear them in the dark was when they screamed or cried, which matches up perfectly with the fire victims: _Screaming Shadows_."

"Freak coincidence," Eddie shrugged.

"How about this then?" Jordan said, pointing down at his paper again. "In the war, Herobrine made the zombies go berserk, and they could actually fight instead of scratching and biting. They carried weapons and armour, and most importantly: _fire_. They carried around torches and set the war camps on fire of a night."

"Okay, so maybe the guy who's been doing all the murders loves fairy tales," James suggested.

"Oh, that's what he's going on about," Seamus muttered, walking up to the table and scanning the page.

"I'm not going on about anything!" Jordan sighed. "I'm right!"

"Seriously, you need to go sleep," Aleks urged, grabbing his arm. "When the end of the world comes and Herobrine rises up with all his zombies and shadow people, you can say 'I told you so'. Until then, we're going to hide away your little page and you can go rest."

"I'm gonna go hide this," James said, rolling up the paper and tucking it under his arm.

"I'm going back to bed," Seamus said. "Stop screaming." Everyone dispersed, leaving Eddie. He cast one final look at the grim newspaper and frowned before leaving the kitchen to watch TV.


	3. TWO

**Yes, Nerdians. Chapter Two. Things are going to happen.**

**You may notice that one of the monsters holds a resemblance to Derek Landy's Remnants. That's because I'm a Skulduggery Pleasant fangirl and they are indeed built off them, but they are entirely different and have different effects. The only similarity is how they go down throats.**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TWO<strong>

The front door slammed downstairs and Eddie sat up, blinking to clear his eyes.

"What the hell?" he mumbled, grabbing his glasses and sliding out of bed. "Aleks, get your ass up!" Eddie said under his breath, kicking Aleks' bed on the way out. Aleks muttered some curses and hid his head under his blankets. Eddie pushed open the door and Aleks sat up, sighing.

"Dude, it's like one am," Aleks said tiredly. "What are you doing?"

"I heard the front door open," Eddie said quietly, not wanting to wake Seamus and James in the next room.

"It's probably just Dan," Aleks muttered, curling up again. "Forget it."

"It could be a robber," Eddie shrugged. "I'm just gonna check."

"Robbers don't come through the front door," Aleks said, and then he fell back asleep. Eddie rolled his eyes and grabbed his shirt off the dresser, padding out of the bedroom and pulling his shirt on while he walked. The hallway was narrow, and short, and it didn't take much to reach the stairs. Eddie walked down slowly, jumping the creaky step and landing on the tiles, cursing at the cold.

"Dan?" Eddie called, walking into the kitchen and looking around. Jordan was standing in the kitchen with Dan, having a hushed conversation. Dan looked panicked and Jordan just looked concerned.

"What's going on?" Eddie asked, yawning. "It's late."

"Something's happening," Jordan said, walking into the living room and pushing the curtain aside, peering out into the street. The streetlights cut in through the gap and Eddie got a glimpse of people walking about, weighed down with items.

"What the hell are they doing?" Eddie asked, looking at the microwave clock quickly. "It's ten past one in the morning! Are they having a rave? Why are they carrying stuff?"

"Something's happening," Jordan repeated, frowning.

"I was driving home and the street was blocked," Dan said. "All these people. I got out and asked one guy, and he said everything to the north is burning. Something about the fire coming towards the city and breaking down the walls."

"That's insane," Eddie laughed. Dan looked troubled.

"I'm gonna call Ze and Chilled," he said. "They live up in the Northern part of the city. They might know what's going on." Dan walked around the island to the landline and grabbed it, tapping out the number quickly. He waited for a few tense seconds and then he put it back, confused.

"It's ringing, but they don't pick up, it doesn't even go to voicemail," he said. "Their phone's probably dead." Eddie grabbed his mobile off the island and unlocked it, staring at the top.

"No bars," Eddie mumbled as he locked it, resting it back down on the counter. "I always have reception in here."

"What the hell is going on?" Dan said, looking around the kitchen. Eddie gulped, finally feeling scared. Then the light above the island went out, and the constant hum of the fridge died.

"Dan?" Eddie said. "Did you turn it off?"

"No," Dan replied, sounding slightly frightened. Eddie could only see an outline of Dan in the dark and the only light was coming from the living room until Jordan dropped the curtain.

"The streetlights," Jordan said in a hushed whisper. "They just went out." There were a few scared screams outside when everyone plunged into darkness and raised, frightened voices.

"I'm getting the guys," Eddie said. He backtracked up the stairs and saw Seamus already in the hallway, a sleepy looking James behind him.

"What's happening?" Seamus demanded. "Everything just went out!"

"The street's completely dark," James added, gesturing over his shoulder to the window down the hall. There were only three windows in the house, two on each side of the front door and one at the end of the hall. It was one benefit of having a narrow town house: you didn't get much light in.

"Aleks!" Eddie yelled, thumping the door. "Get up!" Aleks yanked open the door, stepping out and shutting it behind him, leaning against it.

"Why are we all up?" he asked, sounding tired. "I just wanted to sleep."

"All the powers gone out and apparently there's a fire outside the walls," Eddie explained.

"The city's power supply probably short-circuited," Aleks sighed, waving his hand. "It happened two years ago, remember? They'll turn it back on soon. Can I go back to bed now?"

"It's not just us, Aleks," Eddie said forcefully. "I'm pretty sure it's the whole city." Aleks' eyes widened.

"Bullshit."

"None here. Dan tried to call Ze but the lines are down. No service, no dial tone, nothing."

"Then what the hell are we doing up here?" Aleks said. Seamus pushed past Eddie and walked down the stairs into the kitchen, talking to Dan. James sighed and followed him with Eddie and Aleks was close behind.

"There are more people in the street," Jordan said from the front window. "The cars trying to drive through can't fit."

"Oh Jesus," James said under his breath. "Look at everyone."

"Should we follow them?" Dan asked, still only an outline from his post by the landline while he tried different numbers. "Spoon isn't picking up. Or Kevin or Dex or Spencer, no one's answering their phones. I can't even get in for most of their numbers."

"Landline is hooked up to the electricity, dumbass," Aleks snapped.

"Should we be worried?" Seamus asked, walking into the living room to look out the window as well.

"I don't know yet," Dan sighed, exasperated. He cast a dirty look at Aleks, frowning. "The power's out so we can't try the television. Does anyone have a radio or something?"

"Our alarm clock has a radio function," Aleks said.

"Is run by power or batteries?"

"Batteries."

"Bring it down," Dan ordered. Aleks disappeared up the steps and James wandered into the living room to join Jordan and Seamus. The voices outside were rising in pitch and getting louder, more frantic. Aleks came back down with the clock and passed it to Dan. Dan sat on a stool and started trying to get it to work.

"This thing is obscure as hell," Dan muttered.

"It's more of an alarm clock than a radio, but it has the thingy on it that makes it radio," Aleks said, crossing his arms. "I've never even tried to use it as a radio."

"Does it even work?" Dan asked, looking up at him. Aleks shrugged and Dan sighed, mumbling under his breath. Eddie picked up his phone again and stared at the top, but it still had nothing.

"If we don't have reception would we even be able to get radio?" Eddie asked, sliding his phone into his pocket.

"I don't know!" Dan said, desperation creeping into his voice. "I just want something to work!"

"Hey, what's that?" James asked, pressing his finger against the window.

"What?" Seamus said, squinting to look out. "I don't see anything."

"That glowing thing down the street," James said. Seamus looked at him blankly and James sighed in frustration.

"The glow! Over those houses!" he insisted. "You can see it!"

"What _is_ that?" Jordan muttered. He scooted around Seamus and James and went to unlock the front door but James grabbed his arm, pushing him back.

"Don't," James said. "There might be something out there."

"This piece of crap isn't working," Dan said, slamming the alarm clock on the island and shoving it back. "I can't get anything on it."

"When's the power gonna turn back on?" Aleks asked. "This isn't funny anymore."

"It wasn't funny in the first place!" Dan snapped. Aleks took a step back and looked over at Eddie.

"What do you think is happening?" Aleks asked quietly.

"It's probably just a fire," Eddie said, trying to sound reassuring. Who he was trying to reassure, he had no idea. "Maybe the central power station's up in the northern parts, and it's shut down because of the fire."

"But the fire's outside the walls," Aleks said uncertainly. "Right?"

"Ze isn't picking up," Dan said grimly. "We have to assume they ran out of there. I tried his mobile and Chilled's. No one's picking up."

"Try Spencer again," Aleks urged. "He's all tech smart; he probably knows how to make his phone work without service."

"The point is _we_ don't have service too," Dan sighed. "We can't call anyone."

"I don't like this," James said, rubbing his arms from the chill. "Maybe we should follow them."

"You just told me not to go outside!" Jordan protested.

"Well I don't know what to do, Jordan!" James yelled. "For all we know some serious shit is going down!"

"I'm going out," Jordan said shakily. "I'll ask someone what's going on." Jordan took a deep breath and opened the front door, and the first thing that swept inside was the acrid smell of smoke and the smell of something burning. Jordan folded his arms over his chest and walked speedily to the nearest man. They had a quick conversation, the man gesturing over his shoulder towards the north with terror printed over his face. Then they were shaking hands and Jordan ran back up to the house, closing the door.

"The whole northern part of the city is burning and the walls are down," Jordan said, his voice hushed. "He said he saw people, trapped. They were… were melting like candles…"

"Ash lives in the north," Seamus said quietly, his face pale.

"Jesus," Aleks whispered. "What about Ze and Chilled?" the room fell silent, the only noise coming from outside.

"Everyone grab a jacket and one thing to carry," Dan said, his voice strong. "We're going and we don't want to be weighed down.

"Is joining a mob really the best idea here?" James said roughly. "We'll be caught in a crowd. Herded. Easier targets."

"Targets?" Eddie said softly. "Are you saying someone is doing this deliberately?"

"Fires don't break walls by accident," James said grimly. Aleks covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes widening. Eddie shivered and wrapped an arm around Seamus, who was shaking. Dan and Jordan exchanged a glance and then Dan moved for the staircase, the boys suddenly snapping out of their shocked trance to follow.

Soon they were gathered together in their pyjamas and heavy jackets against the cold. Aleks was barefoot and Seamus was wearing his stupid moose slippers, which were a gift from James. Eddie was in shorts and a thin shirt with a bulky black jacket on, his legs bare and covered in goose pimples. Jordan had donned a blue dressing gown and his red hat, clutching a small box to his chest. Dan was dressed in his work clothes still and James was wearing a purple hoodie and shorts, like Eddie. Everyone was cold, scared and tired: part of a herd of terrified citizens fleeing unknown danger with no idea what was going on. The fire's heat was intensifying behind him as the crowd shuffled down the streets and the glow was consuming the sky, smoke a heavy cloud. Coughing children held tight onto parent's hands, younger siblings cradled in their arms crying or sleeping. Teenagers were grouped together, making half-hearted attempts at jokes and shoving each other around. Elderly couples held each other close.

"Did you see that?" Seamus said quietly, elbowing James and pointing. The streets were lined with near identical, narrow townhouses like their own with red or blue doors, and the shadows danced over the windows and walls. Windows were opening or slamming shut as people decided whether to stay or not. The shadows moved gracefully, not matching the hunched and scared people the street. Seamus could hear faint shrieking and sobbing, but it didn't sound like anyone in the crowd.

"They're moving," James realised. "The shadows… they look like silhouettes."

"Jordan?" Seamus said, more urgent now. He grabbed his soft sleeve and jerked him around, pointing at the walls. Jordan squinted for a moment and then his eyes widened in horror and realisation.

"The Screaming Shadows," Jordan whimpered. "They're real. We need to move faster." Jordan twirled non-too gracefully on his heel and rushed forward, pushing people without care. Seamus shrugged and ran after Jordan, yelling at him to slow down. Aleks and James followed Seamus with Eddie and Dan close behind.

"There's nowhere to go!" someone shrieked suddenly. "The gates are closed!" grim realisation swept over the mob as the massive gates came into view. The majority was shocked into silence, while some screamed hysterically. The fire was getting hotter and hotter, and as the screams reached a terrifying crescendo before stopping completely. The silence was suffocating as fire crackled behind them, and then something moaned. Everyone shuffled around as one and saw a single zombie grasping a torch in its peeling hands. It didn't move, and then it threw the torch. Suddenly someone was a human match, screaming and lurching back, causing more people's clothing to catch. Coats and jackets were dumped in horror but it was spreading quickly, and then the doors to houses exploded.

Zombies, spiders, skeletons, they all flooded out in terrific unison as the shadows lurched off the walls with a screech and latched onto the nearest body. Everyone flooded back, a mess of people shoving and crying and screaming as shadows gripped their backs and zombies bit into their necks and legs. Eddie caught a glimpse of a zombie gnawing on a sobbing child's arm and a woman falling against the wall with an arrow in her stomach as skeletons advanced. The shadows were crawling up their prey's back and prying open their mouths forcefully before wriggling inside, writhing madly as throats bulged and jaws snapped. Eddie whirled around, unable to see his friends in the panicking mob. Suddenly he saw Aleks, curled up on the ground with James hovering over him, trying to tug him up, Dan suddenly grabbed Eddie's wrist and urged him forward, and Eddie saw a flash of Jordan's hat and one of Seamus' slippers, and then suddenly Seamus was in front of him. Seamus was trying to pull a writhing black mass off the front of his shirt, eyes as big as saucers. Then another shadow flew out of seemingly nowhere and latched on Seamus' face, hooking it's fingers in his mouth and yanking it open. It thrashed as it shoved itself down Seamus' throat, and his eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed.

"Seamus!" Eddie screamed, and then something cold was on his face, burning his skin. Dan screamed bloody-murder, an arrow sticking out of his shoulder, and James was on the ground beside Aleks, lying motionless. Eddie saw red, empty eyes staring into his own and then unbearable pain as his jaw was ripped open, cracking in protest. Jordan was suddenly beside Eddie and screaming in his ear as the horrible pain slid down his throat, burning all the way until

Darkness.


	4. THREE

**Hello Nerdians! Chapter Three has arrived! Was chapter two good enough? I hope you enjoyed it.**

**A quick note: Jason, Ty and Sky are going to be the comedic in dark moments. They'll be cracking jokes, screaming and making light of deep situations, but I'll try not the butcher the mood. **

**Now, I present to you...**

**THE FABELD TIME SKIP**

**EYYYY**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER THREE<strong>

"…and tomorrow we will acknowledge the two year anniversary of our beloved sister kingdom's collapse. It will be the date that the Western Kingdom fell and we lost all contact with them. The searches launched are remembered, and we hope to remind you of the total destruction they found and feel grateful for our safety. The city was completely burned to the ground with only rubble and wreckage left, the walls collapsed from the north. The forests around were burnt to no repair and still have not regenerated, and the monsters still have control of the mountains on the coast. No survivors have been found but their presence has been noted…"

* * *

><p>Sky swiped his sword through the air, using the momentum to twirl and slash downwards. The broom stick stood no chance. It was whole for a moment before the top half slid off, falling to the ground with a clatter.<p>

"Good job," Jason said sarcastically. "Now we need a new broom." Sky scowled, sheathing his sword over his shoulder and turning to face the spaceman, who actually wasn't wearing his suit. Instead he wore a plain black t-shirt and jeans, much like Sky.

"Shut up. That broom was a menace to society," Sky joked.

"The world thanks you for your brave contribution," Jason said, bowing to him. Sky rolled his eyes.

"Show me what you've got," Sky ordered.

"Did you miss a broom?"

"Of course not. I'm thorough," Sky said, unsheathing his sword again with a grunt and holding it in a double-handed grip. "I challenge you to a battle."

"I choose Pikachu."

"Jason!" Sky snapped. Jason smiled, pushing his light brown curls out of his eyes and whipping out his two small daggers. He held the daggers in a grip with his thumbs and made the universal sign for 'come at me' with his free fingers, before restoring them in a better grip.

Sky came in low, sword ready to plunge into his stomach, but Jason smacked his blade down with one dagger, twisting to the left and pushing the flat of his dagger against Sky's side.

"One for me," he said with a smirk. Sky scowled and twirled, slashing downwards, blade stopped over his shoulder by Jason's dagger. Jason heaved, sending his sword upwards, and then Jason pressed his dagger to Sky's chest gently.

"Two for me. Are you testing me or getting your ass kicked?" Jason sniped, and Sky jumped back, darting to the right and swinging. Jason moved to block but it was a feint. Sky's sword cut upwards suddenly rested against Jason's neck. Jason nodded approvingly and Sky smiled.

"I was going easy on you," Sky said with a smile. "One to me." The two continued to fight, trading insults occasionally and keeping count of their scores. Finally Sky fell away, dropping his sword and hunching over, hands resting on his knees.

"Okay, I'm exhausted," he panted, holding up one hand in mercy. Jason grinned and sheathed his daggers.

"Half an hour or so. That's good. But I won," he said happily. "I got twenty hits on you."

"I got nineteen," Sky said, looking up at the proud spaceman. "We were pretty much even."

"Nope. I won," Jason insisted.

"Even!" Sky shot back.

"I won!" Jason protested, crossing his arms.

"No, we got even!" Sky said stubbornly.

"You both need to shut up," Ty announced, walking out the backdoor of their shared farmhouse. Jason and Sky looked at Ty, frowning.

"Tell him I won fair and square!" Jason whined.

"We got a tie!" Sky yelled.

"Stop acting like five years olds," Ty said, deadpan. "The sun is going down and you need to come inside."

"Speaking of that," Sky started as he retrieved his sword, "Have we figured out what's going on with the mobs yet?"

"Nope. Maybe it's migrating season?" Ty said. Jason and Sky stared at him.

"Mobs migrate?" Jason finally managed, trying not to crack up. Ty's cheeks coloured.

"Hey! I was just trying to offer a suggestion!" he snapped.

"Where'd you get that suggestion from, Ty? A cereal box?" Sky joked. Ty huffed in annoyance, turning around and walking inside, slamming the door. Jason snorted, and then started laughing.

"All I could picture then was zombies flying overhead with the birds," Sky said blankly, and that made Jason laugh harder. Sky sighed and slapped his arm as he walked past him to go inside.

"That isn't even funny, you easily amused swine!" Sky yelled over his shoulder. It took a while but Jason finally stopped laughing and walked inside, the door swinging shut behind him as the sun cast its dying rays over the land.

* * *

><p>The next morning was a grim one.<p>

"Oh Jesus," Jason muttered, covering his mouth. "That's… what happened?"

"I don't know," Ty said, frowning. "I came out to feed them and they were all… dead. Very, very dead." Jason looked away from the mauled sheep, going green in the face.

"Where's Sky?" Jason asked, his voice muffled by his hand.

"Sleeping in," Ty muttered. "Lazy asshole."

"We only had three sheep!" Jason said. "Now we can't sell any wool for money, and the seeds are out of season… We haven't got anything."

"We'll figure something out," Ty sighed, rubbing his jaw and staring at one particularly bloody sheep. "We always figure it out."

"What could've done… that?" Jason asked, waving one hand behind him absently, trying to gesture to the sheep but instead pointing it at Ty. Ty scowled.

"Excuse me, but I'm actually quite good looking," Ty huffed. Jason cast a glance over his shoulder and sighed, shifting his hand to point at the sheep. "Oh, that. I have no idea."

"Great," Jason sighed, walking back towards the house. "Just great." Ty followed him inside, casting a quick glance around the kitchen.

"There was no sign of anyone breaking in, but I doubt a human could've done that," Ty explained. "It looked messy. There was no method or routine. It just ripped them apart."

"It?" Jason asked, sitting on one of the stools.

"I'm guessing it's an animal," Ty said with a shrug. "It could've been a big cat from the mountains, but it's a long trek and they don't stray from their territory. Maybe it's because we're close to the border. All of that stuff that happened in the West, maybe it's happening to us." Jason paled a few shades and shook his head quickly.

"Don't even suggest that!" he snapped. "That… the West Kingdom is a wasteland now. You know what happened to them. The city was completely burnt, and their walls are supposed to be impenetrable! And the monsters in the woods..." Jason shuddered.

"People survived it," Ty said, eyes hard. "I know they did. They've seen their marks."

"That stuff about them surviving is bullshit," Jason said, frowning. "'Creating their own civilizations in the ashes.' It's ridiculous. They were either burnt or murdered by the monsters and shadows."

"This is why you failed school," Ty chided, crossing his arms. "You don't believe in possibilities."

"What does that have to do with academic excellence?" Jason retorted.

"Everything," Ty said. "You need to believe in what you're learning for it to actually sink in."

"Stop preaching and make breakfast," Jason sighed, resting his chin in his hand moodily. Ty rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen slowly, opening the fridge and scanning the contents.

"We have nothing," Ty said blankly, blinking. "You can have cereal." Jason made a whining noise and slumped forward, resting his head on his arms.

"Good morning!" Sky yelled as he bounded down the stairs, jumping the last step and throwing his arms up in the air. "Happy anniversary of complete and utter destruction!"

"We have no food!" Jason moaned, his voice muffled by his arms. Sky's arms dropped and his face fell.

"No food?" he shrieked. Ty winced and rubbed his ears, scowling.

"No screaming. It's too early for screaming," Ty muttered.

"It's ten am," Sky said, raising an eyebrow. "It's never too early for mindless screaming. Anyway, back to topic," Sky threw himself onto the stool beside Jason, spinning around in a circle before putting his arms on the counter. "Today is the day we celebrate the fact everyone in the West died horrifically but we lived!"

"This is the worst anniversary in the history of anniversaries," Ty said as he pulled the milk out of the fridge, setting it down. "Why do we need to celebrate the fact we're lucky enough to be alive?"

"Because of our beloved, all-amazing government, Ty," Sky said seriously. "They protected us from the horror. We were targeted too but they saved our lives and hid the details. Our government is the best."

"Our Government is bullshit," Ty replied sweetly. "We weren't even targeted; they just made it look like they were powerful and saved us."

"I was being sarcastic," Sky said, voice equalling Ty's sugary sweetness. "But now I don't get to watch TV, because it's just going to be live coverage of all the memorials and stuff."

"Should we go pay our respects?" Ty asked as he grabbed bowls and the packet of Honey Bites. "It's a fair drive all the way to the city, but the gates will be open all day and we don't have to pay for parking."

"And they're unveiling the mural they did on the inside of the walls," Jason piped up, finally pulling his head out of his arms. "Apparently it's fantastic."

"Would that mean putting on the suits?" Sky asked. Ty nodded and Sky pouted. "I hate the suit!" he whined.

"We can do something else if it means that much to you, geez," Ty muttered. Then he brightened. "We could drive out to the border, climb up the hill to the lookout. You can see the West over the river, and we might see some-"

"No!" Jason and Sky screamed simultaneously.

"We are going nowhere near that wasteland!" Sky yelled. "It's basically hell!"

"All the animals and plants are dead and it's practically swampland over the river!" Jason added angrily. "The city is a burnt out shell and all those stories of people still living aren't even real!"

"Jesus, I was just suggesting a day trip!" Ty snapped. "I'll just go myself!"

"You are not going near the border at all, okay?" Sky demanded, standing up. "I will tie you to a chair and lock you in a room if I have to!"

"That kinda sounds like you're setting up to do the frickle-frackle without consent," Jason pointed out. Sky whirled on him.

"Do not joke about unconsented frickle-frackle! It's not a joking thing!" Sky snapped. Jason held his hands up and Sky turned back to face Ty, putting his hands on his hips.

"If you go near that border at all today, I will murder you," Sky said seriously. "I swear to god and everything that is holy in this world."

"Fine," Ty mumbled. "I won't." Sky brightened quickly, smiling.

"Awesome," he said, nodding. "Now hurry up, I want to have breakfast."

"Driving into the city it is," Ty said, rolling his eyes. "I'm not hungry."

"More for me," Jason said, reaching over the island and grabbing a bowl and the milk. "Pass the cereal."

* * *

><p>Ty was waiting in the car, tapping away at his phone absently.<p>

"This is worse than the suit!" Sky whined, picking at the sleeves of his jacket. "It's itchy!"

"You need to look somewhat presentable," Jason sighed. "And it's just a jacket."

"Let's get this over and done with," Sky muttered, shoulders slumping. "I wanna get out of this thing." Jason and Sky walked out the front and up to the car, Sky complaining and Jason trying to ignore him.

"Hurry up!" Ty said as they climbing in. "We'll miss the start of the unveiling!"

"Art doesn't matter that much to me," Sky replied. "I don't care if we miss part of it."

"Suit yourself," Ty said as they started to drive. They drove down to the end of the road where the crossroads was, and then Ty went right.

"Ty," Sky said cautiously. "The city is down the left."

"I know," Ty said happily.

"Ty," Sky said. "Ty. Ty, I swear to god if you're-"

"We're going to the border!" Ty sang. Jason went white and Sky's hand flew to the door.

_Click._

Ty locked them.


	5. FOUR

**So, yep. I'm still alive. It's holidays but I've been really unmotivated lately and I just haven't been dealing with stuff the right way. I hate everything I write, and it's just... yeah.**

* * *

><p><span><strong>CHAPTER FOUR<strong>

"Ty, Ty, oh my god!" Sky yelled, punching his arm. "We aren't meant to be here! We're gonna die!"

"It's a nice view," Ty said defensively.

"All you can see is the god damned river and the swamp!" Sky shrieked. "There is nothing there because everyone in the East is dead!" His voice echoed, and birds erupted from a tree behind him and make Sky squeal. The pair stood on the hill, Ty leaning casually leaning against the railing and Sky currently pressed up against the car, eyes wide. Jason had refused to get out of the car and was hiding under his jacket.

"That could be us one day," Ty said, matter of fact. "We might get attacked. We might have to swim over there."

"Ty!" Sky yelled, looking around frantically. "The water's poisoned, and you know that! We need to leave! We're missing all the celebrations!"

"Like you even care," Ty shrugged. "I don't. It's a stupid anniversary because we live in a stupid kingdom. Instead of celebrating the fact they died and we didn't, why aren't we sending in teams to help?"

"Because they already did that!" Sky said, exasperated. "For three months after the attacks! They went into the city and the surrounding forests, and all they found was dead bodies and rubble! The city is in ruins, the forest is burnt, the mountains are unreachable and the coast is just as rocky! All the small villages were pretty much obliterated and the towns were blown to bits!"

"It was fire, the generic mobs and other monsters," Ty continued. "That's what they determined the attack was. But why didn't we learn about these other monsters in school?"

"Because our Government hides everything from us, and you already know that!" Sky said angrily, not willing to scream anymore. "Why are you so hell bent on proving them wrong? _No one is alive_!"

"They said it themselves!" Ty snapped, turning to face him. "They can't see them, but there's a presence! Footprints! Food scraps! Weapons! All of them new! Explain that!"

"There doesn't need to be an explanation for everything!" Sky said sharply. "Just take a moment and think, god dammit!"

"Come down to the river with me then," Ty urged. "The Government tells us that the water's poisoned, so it probably isn't."

"Ty!" Sky moaned in fear. "Don't!"

"Come on," Ty said, walking down the hill. Jason finally crawled out of the car, his face nearly green.

"What's he doing now?" Jason whimpered. "He's gonna die!"

"We have to stop him," Sky said. He grabbed Jason's arm and yanking him up, starting to run. Ty was at the base of the hill and was walking up the river's edge.

"Ty!" Sky screeched. "Tyler… uh, Tyler Francis Whatever your last name is! Get your ass back up here!"

"It's Tyler Aaron Rodgers!" Ty yelled.

"That's a stupid name!" Jason yelled back, and Ty flipped him off. Sky and Jason ran quicker, nearly tripping over their own feet as they stumbled down the hill. Ty turned around and held his nose, screwing his eyes shut.

"No!" Sky shrieked. Pure terror washed over his face: water was dangerous and horrified him. The thought of his best friend dying at the hands of his worst fear was petrifying. Ty jumped up and disappeared with a splash right as Sky dived, sliding over the grass and promptly ruining his shirt. He halted at the edge and his hand stuck out, hovering over the water hopelessly.

"Well, he's done for, let's go," Jason gulped as he skid to a stop beside Sky, still standing. Sky shot his leg out to the right and Jason squealed as he fell hard.

"Ty?" Sky called hesitantly. "Are you alright?" The water was too dark too see under, and Sky's heart was in his throat. There was silence, the only noise being a few birds crying out. Then the water exploded and Jason and Sky screamed, scrambling back. Ty grinned at them and shook his head quickly, water flying from his hair.

"I'm not choking, breaking out in warts or turning into a girl!" Ty yelled. "The water's not poisonous! Get in!"

"Ty, you idiot!" Sky screamed. "You gave me a heart attack!"

"You're insane!" Jason snapped. Ty flopped up onto the banks and grabbed Sky's ankle, sliding back into the water and dragging a screaming Sky in after him. Sky dug his nails into the mud, raking furrows into the grass and wet dirt. Then he was in the water. Sky gurgled, flailing his arms around madly and kicking his legs, desperate to get out of the water. He erupted up, breaking the thin layer of water with a terrified cry.

"Calm down!" Ty yelled. "Sky! Sky! Calm your shit!" Ty swam over to Sky as he tried desperately to scramble out, and Jason reached in and grabbed his arms. Ty wrapped his arms around Sky's waist and yanked him back in.

"Shit," Jason mumbled as Sky's hands tightened around Jason's arms and dragged him in with him. The three men were now in the water, one screaming incoherently from a fear of water and poison, one absolutely fed up and the other calm and collected.

"Sky, shut up," Jason said, slapping his flailing friend. Sky stopped, a look of terror printed on his face.

"We need to get out," he said, panic clear in his voice. "_I_ need to get out."

"Nothing's gonna happen," Ty laughed. "The water's fine!"

"Ty!" Sky said, his voice shrill. "I c-can't be in the water! I-I-" Sky cut himself off, gasping madly, his eyes wide.

"Great fuckin' job, Ty!" Jason snapped. "Now he's going to have a panic attack!" Jason gripped Sky's bicep tightly and kicked his legs, swimming to the banks and flopping out, grunting as he tried to haul Sky up after him, who had gone white.

"I'm going to go explore the other side," Ty said. "Call me when he's fine again."

"T-Tyler, d-don't you d-dare," Sky warned, his teeth chattering as he shook. Ty waved his hand nonchalantly and swam quickly across the lazy river to the opposite bank. It was a clear contrast: bright green grass and rolling hills on Ty's homeland, and then dead grass and a muddy swamp on the abandoned side. A quick bit of squirming over the mud and he was up, wet and shivering. The air was still and no birds sang, and it was unnervingly different. Sure, the farm was usually quiet, but you could always hear birds or the sheep or the chickens, when they actually had them.

Now there was… nothing.

"Jason! Adam!" Ty yelled, not taking his eyes off the swamp. "Come over here!"

"I'm not going back in the water!" Adam yelped.

"You're fucking insane!" Jason yelled back. Ty turned around and planted his hands firmly on his hips, glaring at the shivering pair huddled on the opposite bank.

"If you don't climb over I'll tell Sky about what you have under your bed!" Ty said with a smirk. Jason visibly paled and Sky looked curiously.

"You wouldn't dare!" Jason squeaked.

"What do you have under your bed?" Sky asked inquisitively, and Jason shoved him away.

"Nothing!" he squawked. "Come on! Let's go, Ty's waiting!"

"I'm not going back in the water," Sky said stubbornly. Then a smile inched onto Sky's face, and he stared at Jason gleefully. They had a short staring contest and then Jason sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

><p>Sky squealed in fear and wrapped his hands around Jason's head as he swam pitifully across the river with Sky perched on his shoulders, legs dangled into the water.<p>

"Stop squirming, your dick is rubbing up against my neck!" Jason yelled. Ty was laughing too hard to focus as Sky scowled, slapping his head.

"I'll rub my dick wherever I want!" He said with a grin, and then it slipped. "Oh. Uh, not like that. I didn't mean that."

"Save it for the bedroom," Ty chuckled as Jason neared the swampy banks. Reaching one had in he helped Sky clamber onto the mud, planting his wet shoe on his shoulder and then his face, making Jason shove him off angrily. When Sky was up and lying star-fished in the muck, Ty reached back in and hauled Jason out.

"Never again," Jason mumbled, shaking his water-logged curls. "I miss being warm. And dry. And not in a wasteland of monsters."

"Well, I've touched the ground, felt the ground, accidently ate some ground, I'm good. Let's go home!" Sky said brightly, sitting up.

"Let's explore a bit," Ty suggested, and it was immediately met with protest.

"We're going home, now," Sky said.

"So did I carry you for nothing?" Jason said poisonously, glaring at him. Sky shrugged and Ty sighed.

"C'mon, just for five minutes!" he whined.

"I'm not going in with you," Jason said, sitting down heavily and crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Well he can't go alone!" Sky said worriedly. "He needs someone to go with him so he doesn't get eaten!" the two were silent, staring at Sky. Realisation dawned on his face and he shook his head furiously, eyes wide.

"No, no, I wasn't volunteering _myself_-"

"Come on then!" Ty said brightly, lugging Sky to his feet. "Let's go explore!"

* * *

><p>The deeper they went into the swamp, the more puddles and trees came. The grass was still dead but was slowly getting greener, and bushes grew in randomised places. The sky was grey, despite how sunny the East was. The thing that Ty found strange was how brittle all the leaves and branches were, like there was barely any rain. Yet puddles still dotted the ground full of mud, and the sky was full of plump clouds.<p>

"Oh my god," Sky muttered under his breath, clinging to Ty's arm. "I just heard a noise."

"Funny that," Ty sighed, jerking his arm free. "I'm pretty sure you're meant to be protecting me, you know." Sky opened his mouth to retort when something disrupted the muddy puddle beside him. He squealed hysterically and jumped onto Ty, a flock of large black birds erupting from the Cyprus tree in front of them.

"That's the first sign of life so far," Ty said distantly, watching the birds fly overhead. "They said animals hadn't been able to come here before of pollution and smoke."

"How does smoke linger for two years?" Sky asked, worried. "And what was in that puddle? Does it have teeth?"

"I didn't see what was in the puddle," Ty huffed, prying Sky off of him and continuing forward. "Let's just keep moving." Sky didn't move for a second and then noticed how far away Ty was and scurried forward, flinching when a bird cawed loudly overhead.

"I wish I had a camera on me," Ty commented, mystified. "I bet we're the first people from the East to come here in two years."

"Because everyone else has common sense," Sky mumbled. Ty didn't even snap, ignoring him completely and stepping over a puddle. They were still wet and when a cold breeze shot through the trees they shivered.

"The temperature just dropped by five bazillion degrees!" Sky complained, rubbing his arms. "Come _on_, Ty! Let's just head back, Jason is waiting! We probably missed the events in the city!"

"Only a few more minutes," Ty said, his voice still a million miles away.

"Look at this!" Sky demanded, running forward and jamming his arm in Ty's face. "Goosebumps! You're making me cold and scared and I'm hungry cause we didn't eat anything other than breakfast!"

"We'll stop by a village with a supermarket on the way home, promise," Ty said, moving Sky's arm out of his face. "Now stop annoying me."

"I'm not being annoying!" he whined. "I'm just fearing for my safety!"

"Then go back!" Ty exploded, flinging his arms up. A lizard scuttled over his foot and he ignored it. "I'm not holding you here! Go with Jason, cross the river and just _leave_!" Ty turned to move deeper into the forest and Sky grabbed is wrist firmly, his grip iron.

"No," he said powerfully, straightening up. "We are _not_ leaving without you. Friends don't leave friends behind." Ty didn't look at him, straining forward. It wasn't often that Sky acted his age, and of course he was using his adult voice now.

"I don't want to be friends with someone too scared to break the rules for once!" Ty yelled. "The Government is _lying_ to us, Sky! This is a big deal! I'm sure we could find a whole civilization out here!"

"We have no right to pry into official business!" Sky boomed. "We're going back home _right now_!"

"You know what?" Ty said angrily. "Fu-"

There was a sudden _whoosh_ noise and then there was an arrow embedded in the mud at their feet. Sky squeaked and leapt back and Ty's head snapped up as he searched for the source. He was met was narrowed eyes staring at him and the distance shadowy figure of a tall man, pulling another arrow back in his bow.

"Run!" Ty screamed. The arrow flew towards them and Ty ducked, letting it zoom over him. Pulling the first arrow from the mud he took off after the already fleeing Sky until they saw Jason looking slightly terrified on the banks, frantically asking what was going on. Then Sky barrelled into Jason and they both splashed into the water, and Sky was a flurry of thrashing arms and legs as he sped over the river and climbed up the other side. Jason was two steps behind him, not knowing what they were running from yet, and then Ty had overtaken him and he was in the car, jamming the keys into the slot.

"Drive!" Sky said frantically, and Ty slammed his foot onto the accelerator and they shot forward, skidding over the grass and sending a spray of gravel up as they slid onto the road. Sky's head snapped forward as he smashed the dash, blood leaking from his nose almost instantly. Jason was flung like a ragdoll as he tried to put his belt on and Ty fought the car's momentum as he sped away.

All three hearts were racing, fear fresh, one question going unspoken.

_Who was that?_


End file.
